By Frank Tietie
The credibility and sincerity of Nigerian scientists, both as individuals and as organised professional bodies, are presently on trial. Sadly, their collective silence in the face of a clear statutory breach has exposed an uncomfortable truth that when it truly matters, Nigeria’s scientific community, particularly those in the biological sciences, appears either unwilling or unable to stand up for the integrity of its own profession.
At the heart of this crisis is the appointment of Mr. Bello Bawa Bwari, a lawyer, as the Director-General of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), an appointment that openly contravenes Section 5 of the NBMA Act, which mandatorily provides that the Director-General “shall be a holder of at least a Master’s Degree in biological sciences or other related field.” The law is clear. The breach is clear. Yet, the scientists are quiet. Who knows why?
Imagine, for a moment, that a non-pharmacist is appointed as the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), contrary to Section 9 of the NAFDAC Act, which requires a person with “good knowledge of pharmacy, food and drugs.” There would be global outrage. Pharmacists in Nigeria and beyond would rise in unison. Press conferences would be held. Statements would be issued. Litigation would follow. The public would rightly condemn such an appointment as reckless and dangerous. But when it comes to biosafety, Nigerian scientists appear not to give a damn.
This disturbing apathy raises fundamental questions about their credibility, sincerity, and commitment to the development of biotechnology in Nigeria. How can scientists who routinely demand funding, recognition, and policy relevance suddenly become mute when the very leadership of biosafety regulation is unlawfully handed to someone without the requisite scientific qualification?
Biosafety is not a decorative regulatory function. It sits at the intersection of public health, environmental protection, food security, and biotechnology governance. It requires a deep understanding of scientific literacy, risk assessment competence, and an understanding of complex biological systems. To treat it as an administrative posting that anyone can head is to trivialise science itself.
Ironically, the reputation and public regard for biosafety regulation had already suffered a severe setback under the sacked Director-General, Dr Yemisi Asagbra, mainly due to her disastrous media management, which eroded public confidence in the NBMA. Instead of rebuilding trust through a competent, law-compliant appointment, the Federal Government has chosen a path that may well become the final death knell of the Agency.
The appointment of Mr Bello Bawa Bwari is not merely ill-advised; it is illegal. It mocks the NBMA Act. Worse still, it exposes the hypocrisy of Nigerian scientists who loudly complain about political interference in science but quietly accept an appointment that strips biosafety of its scientific soul.
The current situation at the NBMA is akin to appointing a carpenter, without a law degree, as the Attorney-General of the Federation, while all lawyers and the Nigerian public look the other way. That is the scale of the anomaly unfolding before us in biosafety and biotechnology. That Nigerian scientists can watch this happen in silence should be a matter of deep shame and introspection.
Professional responsibility does not end in laboratories, conferences, or journal publications. It extends to defending the integrity of institutions created to protect society through science. Silence in the face of illegality is not neutrality; it is complicity.
President Bola Tinubu’s decision to appoint Mr Bello Bawa Bwari as Director-General of the NBMA is misguided and must be urgently reversed. But beyond the Presidency, Nigerian scientists must ask themselves hard questions. If they cannot defend the statutory foundations of biosafety governance, on what moral or professional basis do they claim relevance in national development?
Biosafety cannot survive without science. And science cannot retain credibility when its practitioners choose comfort over courage.
Frank Tietie
Human rights lawyer, public policy analyst, and Founder/Executive Director of Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER), writes from Abuja, Nigeria.
